ANDERSON PITCHES IN

OAKLAND A couple of weeks ago, Brett Anderson's season was supposed to be over. A couple of days ago, the Oakland Athletics were thought to be finished.

Turns out, neither was true.

Anderson, who had been out three weeks because of a strained right oblique, healed just in time to rescue the A's, pitching them to a 2-0 Game 3 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night in front of a raucous crowd of 37,090 towel-waving fans at the Coliseum.

The A's avoided elimination in the American League Division Series, forcing Game 4 tonight. Oakland, which sends rookie A.J. Griffin to the mound against the Tigers' Max Scherzer, will try to continue one of baseball's best underdog stories.

“They pitched and played a perfect game,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “You have to tip your hat to them.”

When the A's came back from Detroit down, 2-0, in the best-of-5 series, they talked not in terms of winning three in a row, but of winning one. Just one.

And for this must-win game, they handed the ball to a pitcher who hadn't appeared in a game since Sept. 19.

After Anderson injured his oblique in a game that day against, coincidentally, the Tigers, the A's said his season was likely finished.

While the A's were making their shocking run to the division title, winning eight of their last 10 games to overtake the Texas Rangers, Anderson was getting stronger and stronger.

The A's cautiously had him throw in the bullpen until deciding Monday the left-hander was good to go a day later. He rewarded the decision by mowing down the Tigers. Anderson gave the A's six brilliant innings, allowing just two singles and two walks.

“We always feel good about when he takes the mound,” A's manager Bob Melvin said. “I don't know how you could expect more than we got out of him tonight.”

Anderson gave up just two singles and he struck out six. He retired Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder all five times he faced them.

But not without some help.

In the second inning, Fielder hit a shot that was headed over the center-field fence before Coco Crisp leapt and brought it back, Mike Trout-like.

By providing the defensive play of the series for the A's, Crisp also got a chance to make up for his Game 2 gaffe, when he dropped a fly ball that allowed the Tigers to score a go-ahead run.

“I was a little down on myself,” Crisp said. “You just try to man up and hope to get in a position to help the team. I was grateful that I was able to make a play that was so significant.”

Left fielder Yoenis Cespedes took his turn picking on Fielder in the seventh, when he made a diving catch of a sinking line drive.

Cespedes also provided the A's first RBI with a run-scoring single in the first.

In the fifth, Seth Smith blasted a homer to center field, putting the A's up, 2-0.

That turned out to be all they needed, because after Anderson's six innings the A's bullpen came out firing 96 mph fastballs to blow through the Tigers lineup.

The relievers faced just 10 hitters the final three innings. Ryan Cook worked the seventh, Sean Doolittle struck out the side in the eighth and Grant Balfour cut down the heart of the Tigers order in the ninth.

As each out moved them closer to a victory, the crowd grew even louder. During the regular season, the Coliseum is often half empty, but down the stretch it has been filled and loud.

“They were electric,” catcher Derek Norris said of the crowd. “We feed off them for sure.”

When Balfour got Fielder to hit into a double play to end it, it got even louder, with fans knowing that they would have at least one more day to enjoy this remarkable season.

“We won how we've won all year: pitching, defense and home runs,” designated hitter Jonny Gomes said. “That's our triangle of magic. It showed up again today.”

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